Key Moments: A real back-and-forth game. The Mavs had two good runs to take a 14-point lead in the 1st quarter, but a 13-0 run by the Heat near the end of the 2nd quarter made for a very close second half. They traded runs in the 4th quarter. Dallas got within 1 of the lead at 89-88 with 1:37 to play, but were outscored 7-4 the rest of the way.
Key Team Stats
Miami 45% shooting, Dallas 37% (54% in the 1st, 31% after that)
Key Moments: The Mavs' 21-6 run late in the 2nd quarter gave them the biggest lead of the game at 11. The Heat chipped away at the lead in the second half, and their 7-1 run towards the end of regulation gave them a brief lead, and then a tie game. Two free throws by Dwyane Wade, with 1 second remaining in OT, were the difference.
Key Moments: The Heat had a significant run in each period, while the only positive stretch for the Mavs was when they finished the 3rd quarter 8-0. But Miami's 16-2 run that lasted most of the 4th put an end to any comeback. Dallas hit just 2-18 in the final period and shot just 32% for the game.
Key Team Stats
Miami 52% shooting, Dallas 32%
Miami 37% 3-pointers (7-19), Dallas 14% (3-22)
Miami 48 rebounds, Dallas 36
Miami 19 assists, Dallas 10
Miami 7 blocks, Dallas 3
Key Players
Dwyane Wade: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 4 turnovers
Shaquille: 17 points, 6-8 shots, 13 rebounds
James Posey: 15 points, 10 rebounds
Jerry Stackhouse: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
June 13, 2006
Dallas 96 Miami 98 Mavericks Lead NBA Finals 2-1
Key Moments: Down by 9 points at the half, Dallas came out and dominated the 3rd quarter 34-16. Their lead grew to 13 at 6:33 of the 4th quarter. That's when Miami finally woke up and repsoneded with a 19-4 run to take a 2-point lead. After a brief tie, they were able hold off the Mavs at the end. It helped that they hit 7-9 free throws in the final period after hitting just 13 of 25 earlier. It also helped that they improved their rebounding, while Dallas was uncharacteristically off form the charity stripe.
Key Moments: After a low scoring 1st quarter and a 11-3 Heat run early in the 2nd, Miami had a 5-point lead. It would be their biggest of the game, and soon would be gone. Dallas got rolling with a 13-0 run and finished the half 11-0. The kept things going in the 3rd quarter and lead by as much as 27 after a 13-4 run. The Heat finally responed with a 15-4 run that stretched into the 4th. But Dirk returned to score 10 of his 26 points and help the Mavs maintain their lead.
Key Moments: Miami got off to a fast start and shot 70% in the 1st quarter and took an 8-point lead. Problem for them was that they only hit 34% the rest of the game. Dallas used a 10-0 run before halftime to get back into the game, then finished the second half with an 8-1 run to put the game away.
Antoine Walker: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 turnovers
June 3, 2006
Dallas 102 Phoenix 93
Mavericks Win Western Conference Finals 4-2
Key Moments: Phoenix started the game of with a big 24-7 run in the 1st quarter. Down by as much as 18 in the first half and down by 15 in the mid-3rd quarter, the Dallas Mavericks decided not to wait for game 7 and finish this series tonight. They proceeded to gon on runs 17-6, 16-6, and 9-2, all the while preventing any response by the Suns. The last run came with the score at 80-77 Dallas at 5:24 of the 4th, and pretty much put the game away.
Key Team Stats
Dallas shot 28% in the 1st quarter, 54% the rest of the game
Jerry Stackhouse: 19 points (13 in the 4th), 3 steals
Boris Diaw: 30 points, 11-16 shots, 11 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Steve Nash: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists
Shawn Marion: 13 points, 11 rebounds
June 2, 2006
Detroit 78 Miami 95 Heat Win Eastern Conference Finals 4-2
Key Moments: Runs of 10-1 in the 1st quarter and 13-3 in the 3rd were the big blows by Miami. The only significant run was 10-3 by Detroit in the 4th after they were already down by 20. Once again, the Pistons couldn't get many shots to fall and couldn't stop the Heat's from falling.
Phoenix 101 Dallas 117 Mavericks Lead Western Conference Finals 3-2
Key Moments: The Suns shot 46% for the game, but just 33% in the 1st quarter and 35% in the 4th. Runs of 18-6 and 10-2 propelled Dallas to a 13-point lead in the 1st, but the middle of the game belonged to Phoenix. From the middle of the 2nd to well into the 3rd, the held a 43-23 edge and lead by 7. The Mavs grabbed the lead back with a 10-0 run, and the final quarter was their turn to go on a big streak. They put the game away with a 21-5 run. The teams stats are amazing similar. So where's the difference?
Key Team Stats
Dallas 14-point edge inside the 3-point line
Phoenix just 3-14 shooting in the last 9:32 of regulation
Key Players
Dirk Nowitzki: 50 points (22 in the 4th), 5-6 3-pointers, 17-18 free throws, 12 rebounds